Chapter 147: A Male Cultivator Must Learn to Protect Himself When Outside

The inheritance of artifact crafting is vast and profound. Even though Shen Lian had spent over half a year absorbing the inheritance and performing practical operations by merging with numerous figures, when it came to doing it himself, he still felt somewhat hesitant and overwhelmed.

The choices were simply too difficult.

Much like the branch of pill crafting which included a sub-branch for poison crafting, the artifact crafting branches likewise contained detailed information regarding the creation of flying boats, spirit vessels, and even sky-巡-cities (sky-roaming cities).

A sky-roaming city was an upgraded version of a spirit vessel, belonging to the category of super flight magical treasures, possessing both offensive and defensive capabilities.

A single sky-roaming city was, in essence, an entire sect.

In the realm of immortal cultivation, there were sects established entirely within sky-roaming cities, drifting endlessly across the cultivation world and relocating wherever the spiritual Qi was most abundant.

Previously, Shen Lian had contemplated purchasing a spirit vessel. Now that he had become an artifact craftsman, how could a purchased one ever compare in suitability to something he crafted himself?

However, crafting a spirit vessel was no easy task; primarily because finding a keel—the foundational spine of a spirit vessel—was extremely difficult.

Even though merchant associations in the Myriad Star Sea always stocked spirit vessels, from Shen Lian's current perspective, those vessels from the Myriad Star Sea barely qualified as borderline spirit vessels.

In other words, they were superior to spirit boats, yet still fell far short of true, high-standard spirit vessels.

There was no helping this; the Myriad Star Sea possessed virtually no high-tier resources, and the environment dictated development.

The Deep Sea, the spirit vessel he had ridden previously, had been of decent quality. Unfortunately, no matter how good the quality, it could not withstand encountering cultivators who disregarded the morals of immortality.

Spirit boats were easy to build, but keels were hard to find.

Squatting in his immortal cave for a long time, Shen Lian drafted an initial concept for the shape of his natal magical treasure, though he did not linger too long on it.

This was merely a preliminary idea, a rough first draft at best. If he were to actually forge it later on, additions and subtractions would be inevitable, and right up until the final completion, radical modifications were entirely possible.

"Master, there is a disturbance outside. Someone is fighting."

While Shen Lian was deep in thought, Big Black slithered and crawled in from outside.

Among the undulating mountain peaks, a streak of flowing light continuously darted and shifted back and forth, yet it was consistently intercepted from all directions by several other streaks of flowing light.

Through the spiritual radiance, one could see that the person fleeing in panic was a delicate-looking male cultivator.

Closely pursuing the male cultivator without letup were five gorgeously dressed female cultivators.

The five of them were scantily clad, with their lower abdomens each tattooed with different colorful flower patterns that flickered with dazzling spiritual light.

Each of them held a small flower in their hands. The only flaw was that the small flowers resembled man-eating blooms, featuring continuously gaping maws filled with fangs amidst a ring of petals.

The streaks of flowing light chased one another, quickly rushing out of this wilderness.

"Fellow Daoist, why do you keep running? My young mistress said that as long as you obediently cooperate, you will be the little holy husband of our Myriad Palaces."

A strange voice burst out from within the thick pink mist, sounding like metal scraping against metal, which involuntarily caused one to shrink back in discomfort.

"In your dreams! Even if I die, I will never become a male concubine to that promiscuous woman of yours!"

Cursed the male cultivator who was fleeing in a panic.

"Whether you become my young mistress's husband or not is not up to you to decide."

The five cultivators each cast out pink flowers corresponding to the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, forming a multicolored miasma that enveloped the male cultivator from afar.

The male cultivator struck out repeatedly, breaking free from the multicolored miasma several times, but after a few attempts, his spiritual power was exhausted, and he was ultimately captured by the multicolored miasma.

The five female cultivators swarmed forward, stripped the male cultivator's magical treasures clean in an instant, and then lowered their heads to inspect him from between his legs.

"This root is passable, let's go..."

......

"Uhm..."

Below the mountains, Shen Lian watched the multicolored ribbons in the distance and couldn't help but swallow hard.

It wasn't out of fear; they were merely cultivators at the fifth or sixth level of Foundation Establishment, whom he could eradicate with a wave of his hand.

What surprised him was witnessing, in broad daylight, a forced abduction of a common man who was then stripped naked and inspected inside and out.

Was there still any immortal law left in this cultivation world?

"The power of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Whose sect inherits this technique?"

Suppressing the curiosity in his heart, Shen Lian erased the traces of his seclusion and headed toward the direction of Southern Cliff Immortal City.

The immortal city was as prosperous as ever.

Just as he stepped into the city, Shen Lian sensed a certain vice-city lord working diligently, their divine sense sweeping from the sky all the way down to the sea surface beneath the city.

Come to think of it, he had never once visited the cultivation chambers built into the seawater beneath the city.

Primarily, underwater cultivation chambers were most suitable for cultivators with water spiritual roots. Since he relied on medicinal pills for assistance, that place was far too chicken-ribs for him.

Aside from carving out a hole underwater to serve as a temporary passage, Shen Lian had no other interest in underwater chambers.

Pity that the lords of Southern Cliff City were far too diligent, inspecting the underwater arrays from time to time; over a decade, it had never once ceased.

This was simply incredible—did Golden Core true immortals not need to cultivate?

"Fellow Daoist Lu, out again to purchase medicinal herbs? Looking so radiant, you must have acquired quite a few good ones."

Returning to Clam Street, he ran into the shopkeepers who were lingering at their doorways chatting, and Shen Lian smiled and nodded in greeting.

"Oh, looks like none of you have any business."

With a single sentence, the smiles on the faces of the shopkeepers watching from the door froze involuntarily.

"Old Lu, take out the herbs you acquired and let us have a look."

"Old Lu, Old Lu, come over here, I have something to discuss with you."

"What shameful business does Old Huang have? Isn't it just the *Yin-Yang Harmony Pill*? I can hear the screams coming from the second floor of your house every few days."

"Clank."

The window on the second floor of Old Huang's rice shop flew open with a clank, revealing a slender white arm and long fingers.

"Courting death, are you? What business of yours is it if this lady screams?"

"If you have the ability, make your woman scream too. Oh, right, you don't have a woman..."

A sharp, shrewish voice echoed from within the window, as a pretty young woman stood with her hands on her hips, two massive white waves rising and falling on her chest.

"Go back inside!"

Old Huang looked up at the flash of white and immediately shouted.

"Quickly go back, go back."

"Go back? Why should I?"

Faced with Old Huang's scoldings, the young woman upstairs was not afraid in the least; she lifted one leg directly and stepped onto the window frame.

Her skirt draped down her long leg, exposed blatantly above the street, and further in—non-visible sights must not be seen.

"Old Lu, do you have anything more stimulating? Let our Old Huang have a taste."

"Go back, hurry back!"

Watching the young woman upstairs wink at him, Shen Lian lowered his head. This woman was truly fierce.

Non-visible sights must not be seen, non-visible—too dark.

"Old Lu, don't leave yet, there is serious business."

Seeing that Shen Lian was about to leave, Manager Liu of the opposite grocery store—who had been scolded into silence by Old Huang's wife upstairs—spoke up.

"Come, come, let's go inside the shop to talk."

Entering the Liu family grocery store, the manager invited Shen Lian to be seated and then served tea.

"Manager Liu, do you want the *Yin-Yang Harmony Pill* as well?"

Shen Lian glanced at the tea leaves; the spiritual power within them was decent, belonging to the first-tier superior grade Maojian.

On Clam Street, this was already considered quite a high-grade reception tea.

"Lu..."

Manager Liu wanted to speak, then walked a couple of steps toward the door to peer outside. Seeing that the second-floor window opposite had closed, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"This Huang family shrew was already fierce back when she was in the Yihong Brothel; even after turning over a new leaf, she's still so licentious."

Shen Lian picked up his teacup and sipped, pretending not to hear Manager Liu's muttering.

"Manager Liu, I just came back from outside and I'm truly exhausted. If you don't have—"

"There is business, there is business."

Manager Liu stopped beating around the bush. "Manager Lu also knows that I come from the Qianshan Liu family, though I'm just an inconspicuous minor clansman. Being able to run this grocery store is entirely thanks to my family's grace.

Here is the thing: a few days ago, my Liu family tracked down the main ingredient for crafting Foundation Establishment Pills—the Heavenly Spirit Fruit—though we are still lacking some supporting herbs. Does Manager Lu happen to have any here?"

"Manager Liu, you come to me for Foundation Establishment Pill supporting herbs... you really are looking in the wrong place."

"Sigh..."

Manager Liu sighed.

Shen Lian put down his teacup, preparing to stand up and leave.

Seeing this, Manager Liu spoke up, "Fellow Daoist Lu, if you happen to track down related herbs, you can let me know.

This remains valid for half a year, and I will generously reward Fellow Daoist Lu above the market price for the spiritual herbs."

"Alright."

Shen Lian nodded, turned around, and walked out of the shop.

Such trivial neighborhood matters had been encountered quite a few times over the years. He hadn't brushed them all off; whatever he could do conveniently, he did.

As for the Foundation Establishment supporting herbs, that was beyond his control.

Refining a happy pill was one thing, but this was different.

"Fellow Daoist Lu."

Just as he stepped out of the Liu family grocery store's gates, he saw Manager Old Huang of the opposite Huang family rice shop craning his neck in eager anticipation at the entrance.

Seeing Shen Lian, he rubbed his hands together with a hint of embarrassment.

Looking at Old Huang's dark eye bags, Shen Lian advised anyway, "Fellow Daoist, exercise restraint."

"Ahem, ahem, I've learned my lesson. Then let's make it ten pills this time."

"..."

"Shh... Manager Lu, why not come inside and sit for a bit?"

Deep inside the rice store, Huang's wife was draped in thin gauze, her fingers—like peeled scallions—gripping a thick stone pestle as she pounded rice, while letting out a wolf whistle at Shen Lian.

"No need, no need. I just came back from searching for herbs outside, I'm too tired and need to rest."

"I have a few good sisters from the Yihong Brothel. Shall I introduce them to Fellow Daoist Lu? I guarantee they'll leave your bones feeling relaxed and refreshed."

"Shh, shh..."

"I don't have that many on hand. Fellow Daoist Huang can come to the shop another day."

Leaving behind these words, Shen Lian hurriedly stepped out of the Huang family rice store.

This woman, having come out of the Yihong Brothel, was far too slippery.

"Put away that slutty charm of yours, this isn't the Yihong Brothel."

"Tsk, when you were bending this old lady's waist and hips, you said you loved this old lady's slutty charm the most. Now that you've eaten your fill and wiped your mouth, you refuse to acknowledge it? Do you want it tonight or not?"

Old Huang picked up a rice scoop and tidied the spiritual rice in the bin.

"Fine. You think I didn't know you were borrowing my vital energy to cultivate your dual-cultivation absorption techniques? How come I'm not dead yet, and you're already looking for the next target?"

"This little elixir master is pretty good, too." Huang's wife licked her lips and actually nodded in agreement.

"At least we won't need spirit stones to buy pills."

"Once I suck you dry, I'll go find him."

"May you not be worn to death."

"Come on then, to the second floor."

......

"Sure enough, coveting my handsome looks."

Shen Lian, who had walked out of the rice shop, slowly pulled back his divine sense, having captured the conversation inside the store.

Meeting male cultivators being captured outside the city, and having female cultivators practicing dual-cultivation absorption techniques inside the city—it was truly turning the world upside down.

Walking all the way back to his medicine shop, he opened the shutters and panels, and with a wave of his hand, a cleansing spell swept away every speck of dust.

The elixir shop did not hire assistants; over the years, those who came looking for jobs had all exposed their true colors under his Heart-Inquiring Talismans.

Later on, he stopped hiring altogether. When he was present, he used puppet talisman avatars as stand-ins; when he was away, he simply locked the door.

Having operated an elixir shop on the street for ten years, he was naturally familiar with the fellow Daoists along the avenue. Scenes like today's had happened countless times, and Shen Lian didn't pay them much mind.

However, that very evening.

Manager Liu came looking for him again.

"Fellow Daoist, here are five hundred spirit stones."

Looking at the storage bag Manager Liu placed before him, Shen Lian raised an eyebrow.

When he first opened this shop, he had suppressed his aura to the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, and the strength of the cultivators on the entire street was roughly around this tier.

Over the years, although Golden Core cultivators patrolled the city with their divine sense, Shen Lian conducted his business honestly and never drew unwanted attention.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, if you're looking for Foundation Establishment Pill supporting herbs, you should go to those elixir towers and pavilions. I'm just a Qi Refinement cultivator doing small-scale business, I can't help you."

"Once Foundation Establishment Pill herbs enter the elixir towers, there's none left for the likes of us."

Manager Liu pushed the storage bag containing the spirit stones closer to Shen Lian.

"Manager Lu, we've known each other for ten years now, and this old man doesn't know any other elixir masters, so I can only beg for your help."

"Hear me out first. Manager Lu is, after all, a first-tier superior elixir master, well-versed in pharmacology and medicinal properties."

"These five hundred spirit stones are your reward. You only need to accompany this old man to a few places over the next month to inspect the medicinal properties of the herbs we acquire. Once the task is accomplished, there will be another five hundred spirit stones as a reward."

"Fellow Daoist, you've found the wrong person."

Shen Lian pushed the spirit stones back.

A thousand spirit stones? Pfft...

"Fellow Daoist Lu, upon completion, I'll give you a thousand spirit stones."

Shen Lian looked at Manager Liu as if looking at an idiot. Even if he were merely a first-tier superior elixir master, what could fifteen hundred spirit stones possibly accomplish?

And they wanted him to travel outside?

This fellow couldn't possibly be planning to...

"How about this, Manager Liu, I won't take your spirit stones either. Once you acquire the herbs, you can bring them over and I'll help you appraise them."

Manager Liu lowered his head, deep in thought about something.

"Hum..."

Just as Manager Liu pondered for a moment and raised his head as if wanting to speak, he suddenly felt a heaviness in his skull, and the pupils of his eyes began to dilate.

An extra talisman had appeared on Manager Liu's forehead.

An upgraded version of the Heart-Inquiring Talisman.

Ssearching the soul and asking the heart without leaving a trace.

......

Once the Heart-Inquiring Talisman came out, Manager Liu spilled everything he should and shouldn't have said.

"—He's just being finicky, wanting top-quality Foundation Establishment Pills."

Through Manager Liu's confession, Shen Lian figured out the crux of the matter. Thankfully, it wasn't directed at him.

The origin of the matter was a rumor that a descendant of an influential powerhouse needed to build their foundation and desired top-quality Foundation Establishment Pills.

Low-quality Foundation Establishment Pills were common, and medium-quality ones occasionally appeared, but top-quality Foundation Establishment Pills were the stuff of legends across the entire Southern Ocean region.

Even disciples of the Cloud-Ascending Sect could not get their hands on top-quality Foundation Establishment Pills.

Since superior Foundation Establishment Pills were hard to find, they could only prepare more medicinal herbs and let master elixir masters make as many attempts as possible, hoping some elixir master would strike lucky and refine one.

A prominent inner-disciple of the Liu family within the Cloud-Ascending Sect had transmitted the news back to the Liu family ahead of time, warning them to act quietly, collect herbs for refining Foundation Establishment Pills as much as possible, and avoid making a big fuss.

Consequently, several elders of the Liu family had already rushed to multiple major immortal cities to quietly gather herbs, and one of them happened to have come to Southern Cliff Immortal City.

Old Manager Liu seeking out Shen Lian was also because the Original Heart Elixir Shop was inconspicuous in the city, and a first-tier elixir master was sufficient for a preliminary quality check of the herbs.

Moreover, once the herbs were shipped back to the Liu family, a second-tier elixir master within the clan would provide further vetting.

"News leaked from the Cloud-Ascending Sect?"

Shen Lian smiled faintly. He felt the Liu family was somewhat self-deceiving; the information his Liu family could acquire, others would certainly be able to obtain as well.

If this matter were true, the prices of Foundation Establishment Pill herbs were bound to rise.

A powerful cultivator powerful enough for even the Cloud-Ascending Sect to cozy up to—was he a mid-stage Nascent Soul, or late-stage Nascent Soul?

If the ingredients were complete, he might even attempt to refine top-quality Foundation Establishment Pills.

Yet this entire affair had nothing to do with him whatsoever.

After lingering for half an hour, he reawakened Manager Liu and escorted him out politely.

Half a month later, news spread out of Southern Cliff Immortal City.

A trade fair centered around medicinal herbs and spiritual treasures was set to be held three months later, and Master Huodeng, a third-tier grandmaster of alchemy from the Southern Ocean region, would personally grace Southern Cliff Immortal City with his presence.